She's Got His Heart

10 years ago, two teens almost lost their lives. Instead of giving up, they came together and gave each other what one was lacking

My cousin was only 17-years old when she was told she needed a heart transplant. At this time in your life, your biggest fear is being told you're short too many credits to graduate, not "you're life may be cut short." Even though I was one of the people staying the night at the hospital with her and witnessed the process, I can't effectively or accurately relay to you what she was going through. Words can't capture that kind of pain and fear. Nor should they try, as that would just reduce both her hurt and her strength to mere sentences and I think she's owed much more than that.

By the time the hospital found a donor, my cousin didn't want the heart anymore. She had only been released for a few days before they called her back and told her they found a donor. To everyone else, this phone call was nothing short of a miracle. Our prayers had been answered. But my cousin was initially reluctant. Can you blame her though? What 17 year old would want to keep going back to the hospital? Isn't spending your homecoming, thanksgiving, and birthday, in there enough? For a kid, the hospital is a robotic torture camp. It drains you before it fixes you. Once you leave, you never want to go back. Even if it's your last chance.

I think it goes without saying that her mom drug her butt up there and made her get that heart transplant.

Over the years my cousin was able to discover more about her donor and his family. Thanks to technology, both my cousin and my aunt have been able to communicate with his family via social media. As a result, my aunt was able to plan an amazing celebration for my cousin's 10th year anniversary, in which her donor's mother and sister attended.

Seeing them there made me realize that the heart didn't just keep my cousin alive, in a way it kept their son/brother alive too. At the request, of my cousin I have vowed to be an organ donor. I want to be able to do for someone else's family what this young man did for mine. However, I overlooked a critical benefit of begin an organ donor.

Donating your organs means your family doesn't have to lose their loved one either. Donating your organs allows you to give a life and preserve your life at the same time. Donating your organs gives your family the opportunity to keep watching you grow. Donating your organs makes mourning a little bit easier when families know their child has decided to stay around longer just to do the work of a hero. Because this young man donated his heart, neither one of our families has had to say goodbye. His heart has never stopped beating, he has yet to stop living, and he could never possibly be forgotten.

Please, donate your organs. We all deserve to live a little longer.